The obvious solution

Given the defenestration habits of those who let down Putin, it is hardly surprising that he apparently wouldn’t go more than two floors high in any building.

The latest victim of Russia’s obviously inadequate working-at-height legislation is the head of air defences in the St. Petersburg area, where an economic summit on the attractiveness of investing in Russia was disrupted by Ukrainian drone attacks on the Baltic navy and local oil terminals. Oops!

I feel staying at ground level is an increasingly good habit for the Russian President. Let’s face it he has been in power for a long time now, and yet he can remain President for another 10 years yet, without changing the constitution again. That means there must be a log jam of ambitious competitors out there somewhere. Apparently loyal but just waiting for their chance.

Then there are his failures, the economy is pathetic and the cost of the war in Ukraine huge. He has failed to conquer a small European country with wide open spaces over which to use his massive armed forces. He has picked a war for no good reason and he has lost a million people in what must be the most inept campaign since the Russians in 1914-1917.

Then, of course, there is the small problem of Russia’s place in the world. Putin has been trying to recreate the USSR, or at least its global reach and power. But without an ideology to export what has Russia to offer? Nothing. Certainly not money, not trade, not weapons, nothing they have is essential to anyone.

And while this is happening China is on the rise, the Kremlin is increasingly dependent on Chinese weapons, technology and money. China is only too happy to see the Russian army destroy itself in Ukraine, because they can see Russia getting weaker and weaker with every day.

Leaving aside China’s desire for large parts of Siberia for their own needs, a weak and compliant Moscow removes the need to protect a huge land border and leaves the Chinese armed forces free to concentrate on the pacific.

For the Russian elite this is a national embarrassment, they were promised a return to the world’s stage, respect for their power, a cowered Europe, a reduced NATO and new land.

There is, of course, an obvious answer, accept Ukraine’s offer of peace talks, put the best face on an humiliating defeat, lick your wounds, escape the sanctions, and try to rebuild your economy and armed forces and move them back to the Chinese border.

But there is only one thing stopping that outcome, the personal pride, ambition, stubbornness and acrophobia of one man.

“Uneasy lies the head………”

Jonty’s Jotting

From Jonty Bloom Media Ltd

Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.